The infrastructure construction of Datang... How should I put it?
After the former Qin Dynasty came the powerful Han Dynasty. As the first complete feudal dynasty in China, the former Qin Dynasty died in two generations. Its time was very short, almost like a flash in the pan.
But its importance is self-evident. Part of the strength of the Han Dynasty was actually based on the unification of the world by the former Qin.
Especially in terms of infrastructure construction, the Chidao built by the former Qin Dynasty extended in all directions, many water conservancy projects were built, and the Great Walls of various countries were connected, which slightly blocked the cold wind blowing from the northern grasslands.
To a certain extent, this created favorable conditions for the rise of the Han Dynasty and its rule for more than two hundred years.
The former Sui Dynasty and the former Qin Dynasty had many similarities. They both perished in two generations. An important reason for their demise was also the excessive use of people's power.
The Tang Dynasty, like the previous Han Dynasty, also inherited part of the legacy of the former Sui Dynasty, including roads, ditches and the Grand Canal.
You see, the prosperity and decline of dynasties are always so similar, it's almost like God played a not-so-funny joke on everyone.
Therefore, looking at history from the perspective of later generations, the emergence of every powerful dynasty has its inevitability. However, from the perspective of current people, everything they experience is full of chance and can easily be affected by unexpected events.
This may be an alternative explanation that the onlookers know clearly and the authorities are obsessed with it.
………………
In fact, the core content of the large-scale infrastructure construction plan started in the fifth year of Emperor Yuanzhen of the Tang Dynasty is just tinkering, and there will be no need for major wars in the next ten or twenty years.
All we need to do is repair the infrastructure of the former Sui Dynasty and then re-establish a complete post station system.
Save the boss a lot of time.
This is also the reason why the imperial court as a whole is relatively relaxed this year. Otherwise, with a family as small as the early Tang Dynasty, if we start from scratch, even if we throw everything into infrastructure construction, we may not be able to make a lot of splash.
Li Po is now extremely optimistic about water transportation. Back then, Yang Guang was able to form a million-strong army in Hebei, largely relying on the Grand Canal, which could quickly transport grain and grass from the south to Hebei.
The impact of developed transportation and water transportation on military strategy can be seen from this.
Now, with the strategic focus of the Tang Dynasty moving eastward and the development of maritime trade, the canal system will become more and more important. If the current situation were not so bad, Li Po would like to follow suit and dig a few canals to completely liberate the country.
Traffic restrictions along the coast.
Li Po felt that if the Tang Dynasty wanted to build a meaningful empire, it would not only be a land power, but also a maritime hegemon. This obviously required not the efforts of one generation, but a serious century-long plan.
Li Po didn't know if he could see that day, but the grand blueprint had been constructed in his mind, and all he had to do was work hard to get closer to the goal step by step.
He felt that he still had a chance to see all that. After all, after the unification of the Central Plains, except for the Turks, no one in the world seemed to be able to directly threaten the safety of the Tang Dynasty.
Especially on the sea, except for the unpredictable weather, there is no such thing as a first island chain or a second island chain. Datang's ships will surely be able to sail smoothly on the sea in the near future, bringing great benefits to Datang.
Another kind of weather.
………………
"This year's autumn hunting is scheduled for the end of July. Does your Majesty think this is okay?"
The person who came to ask Li Po for instructions this time was Changsun Shunde. This guy returned to the ancestral land of the Changsun family. He didn't gain a good reputation, but he brought out some relatives.
He also knew that all these people could not be brought back to Chang'an, so he placed them in various counties in southern Shanxi, and he took the remaining nephews with him.
This is a relatively common behavior among nobles. Once he becomes prominent, he will naturally have to support the family. However, he, a servant, did it with such low technical content, which somewhat hindered his official reputation.
Even if the eldest grandson, Shunde, and Liu Ji made this trip, they could be considered as meritorious to the country, but compared to Liu Ji, the eldest son, Shunde, left an extremely bad impression on Li Po in the end.
With this kind of behavior, Li Po would not let him out as an official. He would attack everywhere in the court and unite with his cronies. How could he still be able to deal with it when he got to the local level?
………………
Li Po waved his hand carelessly, "Let it be decided by Qing and others. Just wait until after the autumn harvest. Well, it's better to put it in August. There are autumn festivals in July, and the time is tight...
Also, Yan Shigu and others are resigning. You can recommend some people, and I will pick them."
The eldest grandson, Shunde, bowed his head happily and made a promise. After thinking about the hero's lineage in his mind, he immediately decided to make good use of this "god-given opportunity", recommend a few talented people, and firmly place some of his own people under his disciples.
Feng Deyi is already very old, and his position as servant has been occupied by others for several years. He is very unconvinced, and now it is time to fight for it...
But we can no longer recommend fools like Yuwen Shiji, otherwise his eldest grandson Shunde will be in trouble and lose his reputation.
………………
After sending the eldest son Shunde away, Li Po waved his hand and asked Wei Zheng, who was standing at the side of the palace, to approach, "I heard that you are asking for a leave of absence?"
Wei Zheng was a little nervous, but with the example of Yan Shigu, he was more confident than before.
At this time, he bowed his head and saluted: "I have only served as the head of a county before. Later, I served in the army for many years. Your Majesty did not give up on me and gave me important responsibilities. However, my talents are limited and I am not familiar with practical matters, so I want to go abroad."
Once I serve, I will gain more knowledge and experience, so that I can serve His Majesty in the future."
This sounded more sincere, and Li Po nodded. He originally wanted to get Wei Zheng to serve in the Inspector Temple.
This man later became very famous, giving people an impression that is difficult to change. He was similar to Bao Zheng, a model among admonishers and a top judge among judges.
In fact, there were some differences. Seeing that he had already planned, Li Po stopped pressing him and just asked, "Have you decided where to become an official?"
Wei Zheng shook his head, "I have asked for a transfer from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, but I haven't heard from my subordinates yet. Furthermore, I feel that I lack some talent, so I just want to be appointed as a county magistrate..."
Li Po laughed and wanted to pat Lao Wei on the shoulder and tell him that he didn't have to be so presumptuous about himself, but he was a bit far away, so he had to give up with regret.
Moreover, he had already done too many things like teasing the famous ministers and generals that he later said, so there was no need to go out of his way to find fun in Wei Xuancheng.
He just said jokingly, "You are self-aware, but have you ever thought about it, you have been with me for many years, and if you can't make any achievements in the local area, doesn't it mean that I don't know how to recognize people?"
Wei Zheng's heart immediately trembled. He raised his head and looked at the emperor's face. He said to him, "Don't laugh. This is very scary for us. Don't you know?"
"How dare I embarrass Your Majesty? I think I am capable of doing the job of being a lieutenant in the county."
Seeing Wei Xuancheng's cautious and cunning look, Li Po couldn't help but laugh, "Well, our monarchs and ministers have been getting along for a long time, so I can't wrong my neighbor, can I?"
Go back and prepare, go to Luoyang to take up a post, and learn from Pei Hongda how to be an official.
You don't have to be so coquettish. Henan is in a period of employment. You can stay there for a few years and manage Henan well for me.
As long as you always remember to take the people of the world as your responsibility, you will not have failed me. When I return to Beijing to report on my duties, I will come back to listen to your nagging."
………………
Wei Zheng came out of the Tai Chi Hall with a warm feeling all over. He had suddenly found a place to be with his foreign minister, and the emperor was very affectionate. So the weather was bright and the future was bright. All he had to do was go back and pack his bags and say goodbye to his relatives and friends.
First of all, you have to meet and chat with your old boss Yuen Long. You can't forget your roots as a person. If this person is still a relative of the emperor, then you can't forget it even for a moment.
What he wanted was to serve one or two terms, and then he still wanted to serve as an official in the court.
This is a path often taken by officials. Needless to say, the advantage is that officials who are aware of local conditions and shortcomings will be promoted more easily.
The disadvantage is that if you go out for a few years, people in the court will come and go, and your backers and friends will easily forget about you.
Some court officials are like this, and they cannot come back after they go out. For example, Li Jing is a typical example. Wei Zheng went to Luoyang, and Yuen Long was taking care of him in the capital, so he should not be worried about this.
After that, there are his bad friends. Because he serves as the doctor of Kedei, most of the people he makes friends with are people from Yushitai.
Well, before that, he had to say goodbye to the Empress. When they were in Jin, he, Xu Shiji, Zhang Liang and others had all received favors from the Empress.
You see, it’s not easy to be an official. There are a lot of favors. If you have a slightly lower emotional intelligence, you don’t have to think about hanging out in the officialdom.
………………
After settling Wei Zheng, the next step is Yang Xu. He is considered a relative of Li Po. Even if his talents are somewhat inferior, he still needs a bowl of water to keep him equal.
So Li Po waved his hand, and there was no need for Yang Xu to walk around on his own, so he could go and build the imperial tomb for me.
Generally speaking, there have been some frequent personnel transfers in the Menxia Province this year. In addition to Yan Shigu, Wei Zheng and others leaving their posts, the Chief of Staff Xue Yuanjing will also be sent to Jinyang to take up a post.
Due to the establishment of the Inspectorate Temple and the transfer of several people from the subordinates, there are more than ten vacancies under the subordinates this year. In comparison, the various subordinate yamen in the outer court are quite normal.
The rotation of officials in Menxia Province is actually normal. It has been more than four years since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, and most of the officials in Menxia Province have served one term.
Except for Yu Wenshi and those who were demoted after being convicted, everyone else could be promoted. This was a rare thing. If the emperor was unable to accommodate others, the officials from the lower provinces who were the emperor's attendants would be the first to bear the brunt.
Now that each one must be complete and complete, it can explain the problem.
And now that Chang'an has so many talented people, there is no need to worry about no one being able to use it...
………………
On May 26, the fifth year of Yuanzhen in the Tang Dynasty, there was a banquet in the Xinglin Forest.
In an apricot forest on the outskirts of Chang'an, the Jinshi scholars led by Gao Guanbo arrived early.
The Li brothers arrived earlier, and they still understand why noble people arrive late.
Before the two brothers arrived at Xinglin, there were probably not many people who had arrived earlier than them. They looked at the skylight and then at the soldiers guarding the area, and they couldn't help but straighten their clothes.
Li Yiyan sighed a little, "It's a pity that the apricot blossoms have fallen..."
Li Yichen replied, "Don't we call it the Apricot Blossom Banquet? Isn't it unmanly? It's inappropriate."
The two brothers looked at each other and smiled, then came forward with the calligraphy for inspection.